Caviar for the common folk

There's something almost magical about caviar, even if it's just a few dots on top of a lowly deviled egg. Fortunately for the masses, caviar is no longer quite the symbol of privilege it once was. Of course there is still the fresh Russian and Iranian beluga caviar from the Caspian Sea, which lightens the wallets of those who can afford it. But even the modestly priced whitefish and lumpfish varieties carry an aura of luxury and elegance.

A small portion of lumpfish roe -- classically served on ice and accompanied by thin slices of toast, sour cream, chopped onions, and hard-boiled eggs (chopped whites and sieved yolks), garnished with a few lemon wedges -- will set you back as little as $3.95 a 7-ounce jar, as opposed to $50 or more for just two ounces of fresh beluga.

The Food and Drug Administration dictates that only sturgeon eggs be sold as simply caviar. Roe from any other fish must be clearly identified on the label. Whitefish, lumpfish, and salmon are the most popular. With these, manufacturers have to talk ``caviar,'' not caviar.

Most supermarket chains stock some kind of caviar not far from the canned tuna. This wasn't always so. Although true sturgeon caviar is not considered either salty or ``fishy,'' cheaper varieties are usually heavily salted and often dyed, either red or black. It is best to taste these and decide if they should be rinsed in a fine sieve before being served or used in a recipe.

Allow onion to drain on paper towels for at least 30 minutes. Butter bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan. Combine chopped eggs with mayonnaise and spread evenly in bottom of springform pan. Top with chopped onion.